Running While Giving Back

Today has been a pretty great day!

Mr. Running While Mommy and I, we were able to get the kids to church on time without any complaints.  On top of that, they sat with their coloring books and hardly made a peep.  Huh, what is going on?

When we got home, I put on my running clothes and set out for a three mile run.  This was the first run outside since before I turned 40 and I fell apart. 

Now, I live at the bottom of a hill.  This is a real hill, not a little bump in the road.  I have never run up this hill before, or even tried to.  I have always started my runs at the top.  Today, however, I have San Francisco on my mind and I can't pretend there aren't any hills there.

I took off from my driveway and up, up, up I went.  It was hard but I did it.  I was slow but I did not have to walk.  Even though I made it to the top, I know I will have to really focus on hill training if I plan to live through the half marathon. 

I was pumped when I got to the top and I was so happy to finally be outside.  My three mile run turned into four and I am sure I could of kept going if I had some water with me.  Food and hydration while running is not my specialty and I will really need to do some reading and experimenting before I get to the really high mileage.  I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject if you would like to share.

After lunch, we set out for a family bike ride.  The kids loved it and I got another four miles in.  My legs are tired and tomorrow will be my day of rest.  That is if, cleaning, laundry and cooking is considered resting. 

Now on to some exciting news.  I have been going back and forth with what I am going to do to raise money to reach my goal for Team in Training.  I had a few ideas, some good, some not.  Then it occurred to me, I am a runner, so lets run!

On July 21 and July 22, I will be hosting the Run Strong, Think Big Virtual 5k.  You will be able to run or walk.  What is a virtual run you ask?  It is very simple, you decide where and what time you want to run that weekend.  It can be outside or on the treadmill.  If you are already registered for a race that day, it counts.   If you want to run/walk longer than 3.1, you can.  You can do it with friends or alone.  It is all up to you.

You do need to register, which is also easy.  Just go to my fundraising page and donate $20.  In the comments section just type the word RACE.  When you complete your virtual run or walk.  You can let me know your time if you want or any details you may want to share about it. 

Once the weekend is over and I know everyone is finished, I will send those of you who want one, a medal.  Please let me know if you do in the comments, as I will be ordering the exact amount once everyone is registered.

You can register here:  http://pages.teamintraining.org/ri/nikesf12/nzelenak#My-Fundraising-Page

The deadline to register is July 17^th at midnight.

For my friends who blog, if you can, please share this race with your readers.  I can use all the help I can get.

I would like to thank Run Find your Happy Pace for being the first to register and sharing on her FB page.  I so appreciate it!

This race is not only about raising money to get me to San Fran.  It is about helping those who need it most.  There is no better way, in my opinion, then to do what we love while giving back.

Together, we will make a difference and I thank all of you for your support.

Run Strong, Think Big!